Book Review: Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4)

I don’t know if I’ve been able to explain to y’all just how much I’m obsessed with this series. It’s gritty, dark, humorous, and full of nonstop action. And Pierce Brown has delivered again with the latest addition, Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4).

They call him father, liberator, warlord, Reaper. But he feels a boy as he falls toward the pale blue planet, his armor red, his army vast, his heart heavy. It is the tenth year of war and the thirty-second of his life.

A decade ago, Darrow was the hero of the revolution he believed would break the chains of the Society. But the Rising has shattered everything: Instead of peace and freedom, it has brought endless war. Now he must risk everything he has fought for on one last desperate mission. Darrow still believes he can save everyone, but can he save himself?

And throughout the worlds, other destinies entwine with Darrow’s to change his fate forever:

A young Red girl flees tragedy in her refugee camp and achieves for herself a new life she could never have imagined.

An ex-soldier broken by grief is forced to steal the most valuable thing in the galaxy—or pay with his life.

And Lysander au Lune, the heir in exile to the sovereign, wanders the stars with his mentor, Cassius, haunted by the loss of the world that Darrow transformed, and dreaming of what will rise from its ashes.

Red Rising was the story of the end of one universe, and Iron Goldis the story of the creation of a new one. Witness the beginning of a stunning new saga of tragedy and triumph from masterly New York Times bestselling author Pierce Brown.

Brown’s writing style is just amazing. It has very a natural flow to it, that is able to just sweep you up into the story itself. I love how he’s able to mix the grittiness and violence of the world with moments of philosophical discussions and epic speeches. I am continuously in awe of how it all seems to blend together so seamlessly. I will leave a reminder here that this is not YA. This is most definitely an adult science fiction/dystopian series, so in terms of the violence and gore – just picture Game of Thrones and you’ll be pretty close.

Unlike in the first three novels, we are no longer only following Darrow’s story, but also following along with three other point of views as well – Ephraim, Lysander, and Lyria. Lyria is a young Red refugee stuck on Mars as it deals with the aftermath of both its liberation and scars of war. She’s feisty and pretty angsty, which makes sense since she’s still a teenager and has only ever had a harsh life. It took me a while to get invested in her character because of her attitude (I thought she was too much of a brat). Then you have bitter and cynical Ephraim, who has turned to a life of the less savory variety, after witnessing firsthand the destruction that the war has brought to the worlds. I thought he was a very interesting character. I especially loved his interactions with the kids, so freaking funny. The last newcomer is Lysander, who is basically living his life as Cassius’s helper in doing good deeds across the Republic. He’s very cerebral and is constantly analyzing everything and everyone. He’s also a total booknerd! I would have to say that his chapters were my favorite in the whole book. And then we have Darrow, who just isn’t the same man after 10 years of war. He’s hardened a bit and has grown weary of the fighting, while also intensely believing that he can finish it all by himself. While I still love him to pieces, I found myself disagreeing with most of his decisions. He’s definitely changed and I loved how Brown was able to show these new sides to him that have developed. It was a great way to show that his character has developed since the end of Morning Star.

I didn’t feel any pacing issues with this book. I was a little worried going into it, that it’d probably end off starting kind of slow. Luckily, I had no problems with it. It starts off with a bang and doesn’t ever slow down from there. I think the only problem you might have is if there’s a character that you’re not really clicking with, then you might struggle a bit with those chapters. I first had this issue with Lyria for a bit but then as she grew on me, it wasn’t a problem any longer.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure if Brown was going to be able to match the amazingess of the original trilogy but boy, did he prove me wrong! This was a perfect start to the continuation of Darrow’s story and I honestly couldn’t have asked for anything more… Well except for more Victra!!! This book ended on cliffhangers for every character and I seriously cannot wait to see what is going to happen next! Luckily, we don’t have long to wait, as the next book, Dark Age, is scheduled for a September release! Seriously Brown, stop spoiling us already!.. Okay, but not really! 😉

Final Verdict: 5/5 Stars

Have you read the Red Rising series? What did you think of it? Have you read Iron Gold yet? Are you enjoying the new characters?